Nail-puller.



No. 643,5l2, Patented Fab.- l3, I900.

W. L. LUBBUCK.

N Al I. P U LL E B lication filed Nov. "24, 1899 WITNESSES /N VENTOI?IfinLZuZZOCZL XQMM LIL UNITED V STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM LOGKHART LUBBOCK, OF RUSK, TEXAS.

NAlL-PULLER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 643,512, dated February13, 1900.

Application filed November 24:, 1899. Serial No. '73 8,210. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM LOOKHART LUBBOCK, residing at Rusk, in thecounty of Cherokee and State of Texas, have invented a new and ImprovedNail-Puller, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of nail or spike pullers embodyinga long lever having an extracting-claw at the lower end and equippedwith fulcrum devices whereby the leverage of the said lever can beadjusted; and primarily this invention has for its purpose to provide animplement of this character, of a very simple and economicalconstruction, which can be conveniently manipulated and which willreadily serve for its intended purposes.

This invention consists in'certain details of construction and peculiarcombination of parts, all of which will hereinafter be fully described,and specifically pointed outin the appended claims, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in which' Figure l is a perspective viewillustrating my invention as in use. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesame, showing the manner in which the fulcrum-roller acts as a wedge forforcing the claw of the lever forward. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on theline 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the claw-lever, the fulcrum-roller, and the securing-bail for the fulcrum-roller. Figs. 5 and6 are diagrammatic views hereinafter specifically referred to.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate like partsin all the views, 1 indicates the claw-lever, which may be of theordinary form; but I prefer to make the body portion square orrectangular shape to facilitate the sliding of the fulcrum deviceattached thereto and presently referred to, the lower end of said leverterminating in a claw-head 2, which may also be of the ordinary form.

The essential feature of my invention lies in the peculiar constructionof the fulcrum member and the manner of detachably and adjustablyconnecting it with the lever.

The fulcrum in my form of implement consists of a solid disk or wheel 3,preferably of the same thickness as the width of the lever. The wheel 3is provided with an eccentricallydisposed aperture 3*, preferably nearits peripheral edge, for the reception of the pivot pin 4, that servesto hold the said wheel-fulcrum between the pendent ends 5 of theU-shaped strap or bail 5, held to freely slide upon the lever 1.

It will be noticed by reference to Fig. 3 that the bail 5 is open at thebottom and is of a greater length than the width of the lever 1, suchconstruction having a twofold purpose. First, it provides against thesaid bail binding against the lever when it is desired to slide the samethereon, and, secondly, it also provides for suspending the wheel 3 somedistance from the back edge of the lever, whereby to admit of freelydetaching the fulcrum device from the handle or fitting it thereon, and,furthermore, providing for a free and quick-sliding adjustment of thefulcrum of the said handle when it is desired to change theleverage-power of the implement by shifting the fulcrum, it beingobvious that such sliding movement can be easily effected, as under noconditions will the bail 4 tightly bind against the lever.

So far as described it will be readily seen that the fulcrum of thelever can be adjusted by sliding the same thereon to or from the clawend as the multifarious operations of the lever may make necessary.

I am aware that slidable fulcrum members having levers have heretoforebeen provided; but so far as I know such members after being adjusted orslid to the desired points upon the lever produce, as it were, fixedfulcrums, and inasmuch as the fulcrum-point when adjusted is a fixed oneit follows that as pressure is applied to the outer end of the lever theclaw end will be forced upward in an arc of a circle having as itscenter (see Fig. 6) the fulcrum-point. My invention differen tiates fromsuch forms of implements having adjustable fulcrums which when set actas a fixed axis for the lever in that my improved fulcrum after it hasbeen set or adjusted authe fulcrum serving, as it were, to wedge theIota claw forward against the nail or spike, and thereby cause the clawto pull the nail or spike more straight than is possible with the otherforms of pulls referred to.

It will be readily understood that in using my form of implement thefulcrum-wheel,with its bail l, is moved back on the lever 1 to the pointdesired.

Now assuming the claw to have been pressed under the nail or spike head(see Fig. 5) the lever will rest upon the wheel 5 and not upon the bail4, the fulcrum-point of the lever at this time being on the lineindicated by X. Now applying pressure to the end of the lever will tendto rotate the fulcrum-wheel forwardly in the direction indicated by thearrow Y, which movement shifts the fulcrumpoint forwardly approximatelyon the line indicated by Z, and in consequence correspondingly moves theclaw-head forward to more firmly engage the spike or nail, such changeof position gradually continuing as the nail or spike is pulled up untilthe wheel has been turned sufficiently to cause the bail L to tightlygrip down against the front edge of the lever, after which the saidwheel becomes a fixed fulcrum, it being obvious that if desired to stilloperate the implement under an automatic shifting fulcrum it will onlybe necessary to elevate the outer end of the lever slightly to permitthe wheel and its bail being pushed forward by the foot.

By providing a fulcrum such as described the same can be quickly slid tothe position desired upon the lever and all strain upon the bail thathauls it. upon the lever is transferred directly to the fulcrum-wheel.Furthermore, the leverage-power is automatically increased after thefulcrum has been set to the desired position. Again, as the claw end isautomatically pressed forward by the rotary action of the Wheel 5 apositive and more powerful grip of the claws on the nail or spike iseffected and the danger of the claw slipping from under the spike ornail head is reduced to a minimum.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. An implement for the purposes described, comprising a claw lever; abail slidably mounted upon the lever and a disk or wheel eccentricallyjournaled on the bail and disposed adjacent the rear edge of the lever.

2. The combination with the claw-lever; of the bail open at the lowerend, said end being projected beyond the rear edge of the lever, and adisk or wheel eccentrically journaled in the projected end of the bail,said disk or wheel being disposed in a vertical plane with the lever.

3. A nail-puller, comprising a lever having a claw at the lower end; aU-shaped bail slidably hung on the lever, said bail having its sidemembers projected beyond the rear edge of the lever; a pivot-pinsupported in the said ends of the bail at a point beyond the rear edgeof the lever; and a disk or wheel eccentrically journaled upon the saidpin, all being arranged substantially as shown and for the.purposes'described.

WILLIAM LOCKllA lt'l. LU BROOK.

Witnesses:

A. S. BUsBY, B. S. HANCOCK.

